Erick Erickson's Blog, page 182

Union Super Power

Another epic from Steve Crowder. This time, it's about unions.

I Stand With Walker

There is going to be a vigil in support of Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans on Wednesday. If you go to I Stand With Walker you can get the details on it.

Likewise, Democrats and Unions are flooding Wisconsin with hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the Democrat Party there.

We need to respond accordingly and give the Wisconsin GOP the funds with which they can fight back.

Be prepared to stand up Wednesday and support Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Republicans in their fight.

Barack Obama's Stand With Unions in Wisconsin is Hurting Him

Supporting public sector unions in Wisconsin must be hurting Barack Obama. We know because he is using the New York Times to back away from his earlier statements and the tactics of his own Organizing for America.

In fact, the White House says the involvement of the DNC and OFA "were overblown from the start", but even the Times can't help but note

Before Mr. Obama complained late last week of an "assault" on the unions by the Republican governor in Wisconsin, Scott Walker, the Democratic Party had alerted its volunteers in Organizing for America to support the protests there and elsewhere, seeing an opening to show solidarity with the labor movement and rev up the party's liberal base ahead of the 2012 elections.

By the weekend, national party officials were taking credit for encouraging the protests, especially through the use of Twitter and other online social networks.

The White House now is forced to claim the DNC and OFA went forward without talking to the White House political team. Riiiiggghhhhttttttt . . .

The question, of course, is why? Why the walk back and the distancing?

Let me suggest that this White House understands Barack Obama continues to do poorly in polling with independents. His gut and preference may be to side with the socialist hijackers of the taxpayers we call public sector unions, but he can't be too bold and upfront. That hurts him with independents.

Nonetheless, we need to remember — it was Barack Obama's own Organizing for America taking credit for the union antics in Wisconsin that have escalated to the verge of violence.

Filling in for Neal Boortz

I'm filling in for Neal Boortz on the radio this morning for his nationally syndicated show. You can listen live from 8:30 a.m. to 1p.m. ET at http://wsbradio.com.

The call in number for the Boortz Show is 1 (877) 310-2100.

I'll be talking Wisconsin, House GOP selling out, high speed rail, Libya, China, negotiating with the Taliban, and much, much more.

Consider this an open thread.

Spring Cleaning

Many of you who are not regulars are probably wondering what the heck is going on at RedState.

I'll be blunt.

In the past year or so, the quality of diaries has really taken a beating, driven largely by a clique that resorted to recommending each others diaries and gaming the system.

Unfortunately, over time, that clique became abusive to new users, those who disagreed, etc. Many of them, however, are people I consider friends. Many are long time users.

But something happened.

A handful of people got into the clique and it went down hill even further. The conspiracy addled content, abuse, threats, etc. skyrocketed. The general disrespect on the site went up.

New users and long time users not a part of the clique were unable to get their diaries onto the recommended list. They were shouted down in the comments.

More than once I put up a front page post on welcoming people into the community and encouraging, not berating, those offering content. It fell on deaf ears.

About a month ago, one user in particular got out of hand and, due to disagreements and being unable to be treated in the same way the user was treating others, the user threatened legal action against a front page contributor. Then the user started bypassing me and going to the management of our corporate owner to demand "fair" treatment. This is intolerable. Threats of any kind against the Contributors (all of whom are volunteers) must result in an immediate ban from the site, if this website is to remain in business at all. No one who calls themselves a conservative should need to have explained to them why this is so.

RedState has long been unique among the right-o-sphere in that it really is a community. Anyone can post at RedState — diaries and comments. Over time we have become much more lax in what we let pass for comments and diaries.

That increasing laissez-faire attitude has been taken advantage of. Long time readers and new readers not in the clique have been complaining and staying silent. Those in the clique were and are convinced that we need them. Actually, we don't.

I have finally had enough and decided we needed some spring cleaning. Sadly, some long time readers at RedState are no more. But after many subtle and less than subtle hints on my part to be more welcoming and less hostile, it was finally time to release the kraken and clean the place up.

I've given and given and been as lenient as possible. But of late it has been too much. Those of you who have complained — your complaints are heard and addressed.

Continue on please. Continue on.

And should you wish to comment, do so on this post. The comments here are closed.

Thor's Hammer + Releasing the Kraken

I have been moving this week and the site has descended into chaos in the comments.

There are multiple petitions by many of you, the diarists, readers, and commenters of this site, to disband the recommended diaries list because it is being gamed by a number of diarists at the expense of new and, frankly, quality non-conspiratorial material.

Being Scandinavian, let me introduce you to Thor's Hammer, which I now am going to wield in an awesome manner.

A few accounts will cease to work at RedState effective in the next five minutes.

Likewise, being a fan of Greek mythology, you should know that I'm going to be away for the next 24 hours filling in for Neal Boortz and also going to a super secret meeting of the vast right wing conspiracy.

I have released the Kraken into the site. He will be returned to the watery pit from whence he came upon my return and not a minute before.

There have been a few spoiled apples in the bunch. They have harassed contributors, contributors' employers, my employer, threatened to sue me and this site, etc. I have been super lenient. I have been patient. I have been tolerant. I have been kind.

That all ends today with no pity and little mercy.

The Erick Erickson Show: Remember the Alamo

I'm on tonight 7 to 10pm ET. You can listen live at http://wsbradio.com and call in at 1-800-WSB-TALK.

It's a free for all Friday night, so you can call in about anything you want.

We'll be remembering the Alamo tonight in light of union goon comments that the war in Wisconsin is like the Alamo.

It puts me in the unusual position of rooting for Santa Ana.

Friday Promotions

Melissa no longer has to make the coffee around here. I'm pleased to announce that Repair Man Jack and DHorowitz3 are our newest front page contributors. We'll be ordering both of them around and Repair Man Jack is going to get to take out some trash I'm sure.

Consider this an open thread.

House GOP to Tea Party: We're Too Important to Have Our Budgets Cut

With a hat tip to Drew Ryun for the title of the post, Tim Carney brings word this morning that some Republicans think they are too important to have their budgets cut.

The Republican Study Committee, the organization of conservatives in the House of Representatives, is proposing further cuts in spending to Congress's budget. Some Republicans are flipping out and going to 12 on a 1 to 10 scale fo hyperbole. The latest among them is Dan Lungren of California.

Here's Tim Carney:

RSC member Dan Lungren, however, is chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and he says no. Here's a bit from his public "Dear Colleague" letter:

This amendment would severely restrict the U.S. Capitol Police's ability to secure the Capitol complex by slashing its budget 11%. A cut of this magnitude would force Capitol Police to face today's ever-growing security threats with significantly fewer resources and officers.

The Amendment would also hamper the House's ability to conduct effective oversight and impede on Members' ability to serve their constituents by cutting committee and Member budgets an additional 11% on top of the 5% cut adopted last month.

As Carney goes on to note, Dan Lungren's Chief of Staff says that if the RSC amendment passes, Lungren will cut what he pays to fund the RSC. I don't think the RSC would have problems with that.

If Congress is unwilling to make cutbacks to its own budget, it will never get serious about real spending cuts. And to use the Capitol Police as an example is silly. Can we never cut those budgets? Not even administrative costs?

Sure we can. But not if Dan Lungren has his way.

Ultimately, Lungren is probably worried about re-election in 2012. I'm sure he is concerned about constituent services and outreach. But what he ought to be concerned about is the appearance of a spoiled congressman telling others to make cut backs as long as he doesn't have to.

Morning Briefing for February 18, 2011

RedState Morning Briefing

For February 18, 2011

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

The Battle is in Front of You: What are YOU going to do about it?

2. Unions fuel the hate in Wisconsin.

3. As Wisconsin Implodes, White House Plans Meeting With AFL-CIO War Council

4. Washington Post Pans High Speed Rail

5. The Republican Study Committee - Keeping the Pledge

———————————————————————-

The Battle is in Front of You: What are YOU going to do about it?

At this very moment, the battle for America's future is happening in states all around the country as newly-elected governors try to wrest control from tax-eating unions. Today's battle is just the beginning of what America will be facing through 2012 and beyond. It is a battle that, if lost, will likely have catastrophic consequences on the fiscal well being of many of the states and, as a result, the nation as a whole.

Nowhere is the fight the loudest than in Wisconsin, where over 10,000 union supporters protested Madison's Capitol Square on Tuesday and about 1,000 protesters demonstrated outside Governor Scott Walker's private home Tuesday night. Hundreds of union protesters also packed Ohio's statehouse on Tuesday to condemn Governor Kasich's efforts to stem the union bosses' power and reign in out of control spending. In Indiana, hundreds of Steelworkers descended on the Hoosier' statehouse to protest unemployment reform as well. Even in New York, with a Democrat governor, unions are spending millions on fighting reform.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Unions fuel the hate in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin GOP has put together a quick video of union attacks on Governor Scott Walker, which include: signs calling him a Nazi (and a dictator generally); signs calling him a rapist; and signs calling for his death. What makes this a particularly hard-hitting video is that it's interspersed with solemn quotes from Democrats who claim that their side never, ever, ever does such things: which is of course a lie, but a lot of these people haven't internalized yet the notion that it's harder to lie about this sort of thing these days.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. As Wisconsin Implodes, White House Plans Meeting With AFL-CIO War Council

Today is the fourth straight day of protests in Madison, Wisconsin as Barack Obama's shock troops storm the state capitol to fight Governor Walker's plan to reform the public-sector scam that has ravaged that state for decades.

As Democrats fled the statehouse (to an apparently non-union hotel in Illinois) to avoid doing the duties they were elected for and capitol staffers were told to lock their doors, the impression that the rest of America may have is that this is a "spontaneous" uprising (sort of like Tunisia and Egypt were supposed to be spontaneous). However, if that's what you're thinking, you couldn't be more mistaken.

Despite his feigning ignorance on the situation in Wisconsin, the President's background is as a "community organizer," working with groups like ACORN and the SEIU. As a community organizer, their modus operandi is to make it seem as though marches and protests are "popular uprisings" [yeah, Mubarek got pwned].

Because of this background, this should come as no surprise to you…

According to the DNC's activist arm OFA, "Organizing for America is mobilizing on the ground in Wisconsin…"

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Washington Post Pans High Speed Rail

Last week we covered an Obama regime Winning The Future moment, their shameless boosterism of high speed rail as though our national future depended upon it.

Even though the regime has proposed to flush another $53 billion into what can only be described as the vanity project from Hell it appears commonsense has taken control. Three governors, Rick Scott (FL), Scott Walker (WI), and John Kasich (OH) have opted to not take federal grants for high speed rail.

Surprisingly, the Washington Post's editorial board, who, to the best of my knowledge, has never come out against federal spending for any public works project, pans the idea.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. The Republican Study Committee - Keeping the Pledge

Good for Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH). He is one member of Congress that gets it. Clearly the Tea Party movement has an ally in Congressman Jordan and the Republican Study Committee (RSC).

Jordan, the Chairman of the RSC, is pushing for more cuts to the federal budget. They have an amendment to the Continuing Resolution (CR) in the House to cut billions more in spending. The RSC Amendment would keep the Republican Pledge to America and cut a full $100 billion in non-security discretionary spending with an $18.5 billion in cuts on top of the existing cuts in the bill.

Let's see if other right leaning Members of Congress are listening to the American people and ready to fight the big spending Obama Administration on spending issues.

Please click here for the rest of the post.